An ordinance that would allow a wet processing system in Gary has some residents concerned.
At Tuesday's council planning and development committee meeting, Gary resident Jennifer Rudderham said, "I don’t know this process well,.. but I am just speaking in terms of how we approach development in the city. ”
The committee looked at an ordinance that would give Reconstruct Aggregates, Inc. a special use permit for the facility on 4900-5200 E. 15th Ave. in Gary. The proposal received a favorable recommendation from the Gary Board of Zoning Appeals at a Nov. 13, 2025, public hearing.
The ordinance states, the wet processing system would use water-based machinery to clean and sort soils, and remove dust and other materials. The recycled soils will be reused for local construction, which can reduce landfill waste, truck traffic and dependence on rural quarries.
Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. the system would run. Operators would have to obtain permits from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and they would have to submit a formal drainage and runoff control plan to the city engineer.
Reconstruct Aggregates’ attorney Scott Yahne said residents have expressed concerns with trucks in the area, but the facility operators plan to not drive trucks on city streets. On Tuesday, Gary resident and GARD President Dorreen Carey also expressed concerns with truck traffic in the area.
Council President Linda Barnes Caldwell, D-5th, asked how often trucks would drive to the facility. Yahne said it’s difficult to estimate, but the facility can process 100 to 250 tons per hour, which he believes equates to between five and 10 trucks per hour.
Rudderham is also concerned that the facility will be near a residential area and about soil contaminants. She believes council members should question if that would be a potential danger for workers.
The Gary Common Council has the final say on the permit and will vote soon.
